I came to food writing, probably the best job in the world, through an circuitous route. Bunking off university, I backpacked through the Sudan, Egypt and Sinai, across China and around South America, before settling down in London to work as a cookery book seller. In my mid twenties I trained as a chef at Leith’s and worked as a chef and caterer in the West Country before starting the Readers’ Recipe column for the Telegraph. Since then I’ve worked on both food and cookery features for Weekend Telegraph, as well as contributing to Good Food magazine, olive magazine, delicious magazine and Sainsburys magazine. Xanthe is also chair of the UK & Ireland Academy for the Worlds Top 50 Restaurants.

Peter Backman – Managing Director, Horizons

Peter is the Managing Director of Horizons, an expert on the structure and dynamics of the foodservice sector, and its supply chain, in the UK and across Europe. He is responsible for the company’s vision and driving the business forward. He has been involved, as a researcher and consultant within the sector, for over 30 years blending his knowledge with a deep understanding of the trends, key players and challenges of organisations with an interest in foodservice.

JP McMahon is a Galway, Ireland-based chef, restaurateur and author. He is Culinary Director of the award-winning EatGalway Restaurant Group, which comprises of Michelin-star Aniar Restaurant, Cava Bodega , and Eat@Massimo Gastropub . He also runs the Aniar Boutique
Cookery School. Aniar has been awarded a Michelin star every year since 2013 including in 2017. Aniar Restaurant and Aniar Boutique Cookery School are approved members of Good Food Ireland . JP is the Symposium Director for Food On The Edge , the much talked about two-day global convention that takes place annually in Galway city, Ireland. A coming together of international chefs to listen, talk and debate about the future of food in our industry and on our planet, previous speakers have included Elena Arzak, Albert Adria, Massimo Bottura and many, many more visionary, change-promoting chefs. JP is committed to the educational and ethical aspects of food – to buying and supporting the best of local and free-range produce and engaging directly with small farmers. Promoting and changing the face of #IrishFood is a topic high on his agenda for 2017. The Restaurant Association of Ireland awarded him All-Ireland Local Food Hero 2016.

Tina O’Dwyer – Foodie Destinations 2016 Finalist – The Burren

Tina O’Dwyer is a professional facilitator, coach and trainer and provides independent consultancy services in the areas of strategic planning, networking, sustainable tourism and destination development. Tina has worked intensively ‘on the ground’ with tourism enterprises in Ireland. Through her work with the Burren & Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark and the Burren Ecotourism Network in particular, Tina led and co-ordinated the development of the Burren Food Trail between 2013 and 2015. The Burren Food Trail connects food-based enterprises across the Burren and has successfully created a truly compelling visitor proposition and a key point of differentiation for the destination, winning the title of European Destination of Excellence for Tourism & Local Gastronomy in 2015. Tina co-ordinated a Burren-wide application for the title of Ireland’s Foodie Destination in 2015 and 2016. Through this application key stakeholders across the region came together to articulate the overall food experience available to visitors. The Burren won the title of Ireland’s Foodie Destination in 2015 and was placed third in 2016.

Shane Raftery – Food Tourism, Failte Ireland

Shane has been working in the hospitality and tourism industry for 30 years. He is employed in the Food Tourism Division of Fáilte Ireland since 2014, prior to that he had been a Business Development Advisor, providing workshops and in-house training to the tourism and hospitality industry, Shane has a Degree in Tourism & Hospitality Education from GMIT, where he specialized in food tourism, and Masters in Education & Training Management from DCU.Maureen Gahan – Bord Bia, Foodservice Speacialist

Blathnaid Bergin, The Restaurant Advisor – The Business of Food

I grew up in a family business, known as a General Merchants. My family were all things to all people in the local community. This included the groceries, telecoms, correspondence, social life – pub; afterlife – undertaking; travel- service station; agricultural – fertilizer, grain, wool, etc and much more.Blathnaid Bergin has assisted and enhanced a wide variety of hospitality businesses from caterers to cafes, from public houses to hotels, from delicatessans to sandwich bars. Her in-depth knowledge of food and food operations combined with her training skills ensures that all clients benefit from her advice and support. The mission is simple – ‘To bring excellence, professionalism, passion and enjoyment to the management and operations of the food service industry’.

Aidan O’Byrne – OBK Consultants, The Food Accountant

Aidan O’Byrne is the founder of OBK Accountants/The Food Accountants the only full service Accounting firm providing advice specifically tailored for the food industry

As a former Finance Director of Batchelors and former CFO of Valeo Foods, Aidan is uniquely positioned to bring this experience to bear in providing practical advice in all aspects of finance from Accounting, Taxation, Audit, Fundraising and Consulting. Aidan acts as a Finance Mentor to many food companies involved in programmes such the Supervalu Food Academy, Cheese Institute and Bord Bia Compass Foodservice programme.

He currently advises some of the best emerging talent in the Irish food scene such as The Happy Pear and Blanco Nino.

Aidan is also one of the co-founders of Love Irish Food, the organisation that promotes Irish manufactured Food and Drink products and also serves as Chairman of the Vhi Members Advisory Board.